I have been thinking about this a lot lately, especially in how it relates to some of Julia's concerns, but also, in how it relates to my parenting skills in general.
I have been wondering of late how much this is behind some of the concerns Julia has socially, that is, lack of self confidence. I had an impromptu, but rather in depth discussion with her teacher the other day about how Julia was doing. It's funny because her teacher basically mirrored my thoughts exactly when it comes to Julia's "diagnosis." She has many of the same symptoms someone with high functioning autism might have...sensory concerns, low muscle tone, poor balance and coordination, language concerns, and social "deficits," but, most of the time, she doesn't seem autistic. Rather, she seems cautious and unsure, to the point that it may be affecting all of the above, but especially the social skills area.
Anyway the point? I have no idea how to teach this to a 4 year old, beyond, complimenting her on a job well done when she tries something that she otherwise may not have, and perhaps presenting her with opportunities to problem solve. I am not big on forcing her in to uncomfortable situations because I know this will only breed fear not abolish it.
Believe me, it hasn't escaped me that the very reason I may be having a tough time with this, is because of my own issues around self confidence. How do you teach someone something you barely know anything about yourself?
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